The University of Puget Sound is proud to be the permanent repository of the Abby Williams Hill Memorial Collection and the Abby Williams Hill papers. These collections feature the paintings, drawings, writings, and ephemera of this early Tacoma artist. Abby Williams Hill (1861–1943) was a painter and activist with an insatiable love of travel and learning. Just as her artwork provides us with a lasting vision of many of the iconic sights of the American West, her papers paint a remarkably rich picture of American life between the Civil War and World War II. The artwork and papers were donated to Puget Sound between 1954 and 1976 by Hill's daughter, Ina Hill. 

Many of Hill's paintings are on permanent display in the Collins Memorial Library. Hill's personal papers are held in the Archives & Special Collections in the Collins Memorial Library. Some of these materials have been digitized and are available for viewing online, including images of Hill’s paintings, a selection of family photographs, and Hill’s journals from her travels around the United States. Additional information about Abby Williams Hill can be found on this webpage. To view the artwork or papers in person, please contact us at abbywilliamshill@pugetsound.edu.